The Department of Natural Resources has banned all feeding and baiting of deer in the Lower Peninsula.

The first total ban on feeding deer in the region was prompted by the discovery Monday of a captive deer with Chronic Wasting Disease in Kent County.
The disease, akin to Mad Cow Disease, previously has been discovered in wild and captive deer in Wisconsin and other states.

"Baiting and feeding unnaturally congregate deer into close contact, thus increasing the transmission of contagious diseases such as CWD and bovine tuberculosis," agency officials said in a news release today. "Bait and feed sites increase the likelihood that those areas will become contaminated with the feces of infected animals, making them a source of CWD infection for years to come."

The agency also announced a ban on transporting live wild deer, elk and moose to slow the spread of the disease.